Mosaic surface and method of making it.



June 9, 1925.

J. s. DUFFY MOSAIC SRFACE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23. 1922 Patented June 9, 1925.

ying, orwall or other UNITED l'STATES Y N l1,541,631 PATENT oFFicE.

JAMES s DUFFY, or EEHWAY, NEw JERSEY, AssieNoE rro LiNoirossIc co. INC., or

. NEW-.Yoan N. Y., A conroEA'rioN or NEW Yom;

MOSAIC SURFACE AND METHJOD OF MAKING IT.

Application ined october 23, 1922. Serial No. 596,238.

To all whom t may conce/rn:

Beit known that I, JAMES S. DUFFY, a

Jersey, and whose post-office address is'Lake and Jefferson Avenues, Rahway, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iii-Mosaic Surfaces and Methods of Making Them, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to a method of assembling and joining together irregular shaped pieces of linoleum or other resilient or plastic materials so as to form a mosaic whereby the units or pieces are separated from and do not touch each other when assembled, 'but are connected together by joints which fill the 'spaces between the pieces, the joints themselves consisting of a lastic cement which connects the pieces, elps also to bind them to Vthe surface being decorated andcontributes to the design formed by the In accordance with the invention; the.

first step consists in assembling and cementwhich form 'the despacing them apart to set. This ing the irregular pieces', sign, upon the' surface,

and permitting lthe cement forms the body of the` design of the mosaic.`

The second step in the method consists in thereafter joining the pieces together in a 'continuous and unbroken sheet by means of a plastic cement, forming the joints of subing pieces, the joints becoming similar to the linoleum when set, resilient and springy. The jointsthusbecome part of the ornamentation and also help to hold the mosaic pieces together and Eto' the surface being decorated. v

The invention also consists in the article of manufacture, namel ,'a decorative ylicorecorative surface resulting from the assembling'of the irregular pieces of linoleum and the provision of the plastic joints between thepieces. In accordance with the invention the artist is' enabled to carry out and preserve his designs made from preformed linoleum pieces of any sha e, 1t being and) sha e .with ordinary wood working tools or lknives. The pieces in their preformed condition when cemented to ether form a continuous and unbroken blan et or flei'tible and easy to cut out cover for the floor, wall or surface to which 1t 1s applied.

Ceramic and stone mosaichave been laid by connecting the pieces by metal dividingstrips ory locking strips or cement, 4but attempts to lay mosaic linoleum pieces have' not been successful except where. they were manufactured in advance with butt 'oints or interlocking abutting joints whic restricts the choice in the laying of the desired design and deprives the roduct of its hand made artistic quality. n accordance with4 applicants invention the artistic quality and hand made effect are preserved and the linoleum mosaic is laid without detracting from the artists design at the same time maintaining vthe durable, waterproof quality of the mosaic and of the joints.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig; 1, illustrates a plan view i full scale of a portion of linoleum mosaic laid in acoordance with the invention, lthe shading representing different colors.

Fig. 2, is a vertical section on an'enlar ed scale showing lthe first step in the meth of placing the mosaic.

Fig. 3, is a vertical'section on enlarged scale showing the second step in placing the mosaic, namely laying the joints.

Fig. 4, is a plan view showing the laying of the mosaic utilizing different shapes an villustrating a different. form of 'oint.

Fig. 5, isa vertical section on e 5-5'of lgfig. 6, vis a vertical section showing an-A other form of joint. Fig. 7 is a section showing the ordinary way of layin linoleum.

1t willI be o the mosaic is being laid upon a surface 1, the said surface havingiirst received a thin layer 2, of linoleum cementnpon which the pieces 3, of the mosaic are applied. These pieces instead of being brought into contact with each other so as to form abuttin joints as illustrated at 4, (Fig. 7) are p aced a substantial .distance apart as at 4^ (Figs. 1-6), the s cing varying in width and being irregu ar according to the design or conceptionof the artist,

After' the linoleum cement has dried which it usually does in about twenty-four hours and after themosaic pieces adhere sufficiently to the surface to be decorated, l the spaces left between the pieces are filled,I

rved in Figs. 1, 2'and 3, that to form plastic joints 5, with a plastic cement having the property of adhering to the linoleum. 4 Its nature may be varied but sucwith a weak solution of magnesium chloride,

in suiicien't quantity to produce a paste workable with an ordina masons trowel. Magnesite cement is llexib e to a certain degrec and has the property of adhering to the linoleum. .After filling' lin the joints with magnesite, the magnesite cement is a1- lowed to partially set andthe mosaic is wiped oli,- thus leaving hollows 5^ in the ttps of 'the joints. This increases the artistic e ect.

After the joints have set they cement together the linoleum pieces forming the mosaic and have the following functions and advantages:

rllhe joints instead of being mechanically accurate or true may be of any desired shape, giving a curve or line effect and the mosaic pieces need not be cut with straight or accurate sides to form abuttingjoints. This increases the artistic character ofthe mosaic and diminishes the amount of care necessary in shaping the pieces. A certain A freedom of positioning the pieces is also allowed .to the artist or workman who designs the mosaic or vwho is laying the decorated surface.

Another function of the construction is that the magnesite cement 511s each joint completely, thus forming a network of joints and binds the mosaic pieces to the surface being decorated, attheir sides. The edges are held from warping by the oints agnesite cement being waterproo" preserves the joints from deterioration.

Referring to the form illustrated i Fig. 4, in which the whole surface is not ivided up into a mosaic. rthe plain linoleum'iield c, may he cut out at 7, so as to provide space 'for the insertion of a rpiece of linoleum 8. The linoleum 8, forms a frame for the design. lt is cut out and pieces 10, 11, 12 and i3 are cemented to the underlying surface. 0n the surface of the flower like piece l0, narrow joint-like recesses 14 may be cut, to enhance the e'ect. The magnesite cement fills the recesses 14 and completes the design.

.ln the section shown in Fig. 5, the sides 15 ofthe mosaic ieces are not cut at right angles to the surface of the pieces, but are slightly inclined with reference thereto.

The magnesite cement after lling these jltints is. thus prevented from escaping :from 't em.

In' Fig. 6, the sides 16 of the joints are cut at an angle'to the face, the joint being wider at the top than at the bottom. l/Vhen filled with cement the holding effect of the mechanical bond produced bythe joint network is increased. v

In laying the mosaic -it may be laid on the surface to be decorated as above explained or the mosaic ma be mounted on paper without joints be'ore cementing it to the surface. After so cementing it, the joints are filled with magiesite composition as above described.

The invention enables one to utilize waste linoleum material formed when cuttin up linoleum, the waste' being made use o by cutting it into pieces from which the mosaic is formed.

:instead of linoleum pieces, the mosaic may be made of cork, rubber, or the like utilizing a magnesite composition for the oint.

j Having thus described the invention, it 'will he understood that changes may be made in carrying the invention into eh'ect without departlng from the principle thereof. l

What I claim and desire ters :Patent is;

l. The recess o laying mosaicof resilient, ilex'fh e material which consists in iirst applying a cement to the surface to he decorated, t en applying ieces of said tlexible material in preiorme condition to said cement so to form a desi said pieces leaving open joint spaces tween them, permitting said cement to set, and therelatter illin said joint spaces with a plastic cement which adheres to the sides of the ieces and to the surface which is being ecorated.

2. The process of laying linoleum mosaic which consists in first applying a linoleum cement to the surface to be decorated, then applying pieces of linoleum condition to said cement so as to 'form a design, said pieces leaving open joint spaces between them, permitting said cement to set, and thereafter lling said joint spaces with magnesite cement which adheres to the sides to secure by Letin preformed of the pieces and to the surface which is bel ing decorated.

3. The process of laying linoleum mosaic which consists in first applying a cement to the surface to ybe decorated, then .applying pieces of linoleum in preformed condition to said cement so as' to form a desi said pieces leaving open 'oint spaces tween them, permitting sai cement to set, and thereafter filling said joint spaces with magneslte cement which adheres to the sides of the pieces and to the surface which is heing decorated; rubbing o' thel decorated surface thereb `removing some magnesite cement from t e tops of the joints.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a lino- 6 leum mosaic comprisinga surface to which 10 taining magnesite cement which forni the joints binding the pieces together.

5.*A fiooring or other surface composed of a number of diiferently shaped pieces of resilient fiexible material assembled to forni any desired design or figure and cemented to the surface to be decorated, the said pieces being spaced apart so as to leave irregular joint spaces, the said joint spaces being filled by a plastic cement, the pieces being thereby cemented together in a continuous, unbroken sheet, said joint cement adhering to the adjoining pieces, and t0 the surface.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES S. DUFFY. 

